1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to toy vehicles, and more particularly to a toy pick-up truck on whose rear bed are mounted at least two miniature dog houses in side-by-side relation, each occupied by a miniature puppy whose head projects from the entry to the dog house.
2. Status of Prior Art
The concern of this invention is with a toy pickup truck on whose rear bed are mounted in side-by-side relation at least two miniature dog houses so that the vehicle serves, as it were, as a transport carrier for puppies who are confined to these houses until the truck reaches its destination, at which point the puppies are taken out.
In order to make it possible for a child who plays with this toy to remove the miniature puppies from their dog houses so that he can handle and engage in various play activities with these puppies, the roof of each dog house is hinged so that it can be raised to provide access to the dog house interior. The head of each puppy projects out of the entry to the dog house, but one cannot remove the puppy by way of this entry which is too narrow to admit the puppy's body.
The problem with this toy pickup truck is that it is possible to steal the puppies without at the same time taking the truck. Thus, when, as is often the case, the toy pickup truck is on sales display on a counter or shelf in a retail store, it is then fairly difficult for a shoplifter, without being observed to remove the toy from its display site; for the truck is relatively large and conspicuous and cannot easily be concealed. But it is much easier for a shoplifter to raise the doghouse roof and take out a miniature puppy, for this puppy can be grasped and concealed in one hand.
Hence the need exists in a toy of this type for some means to discourage one who is not authorized to do so from lifting a dog house roof to remove the puppy occupying this house. A positive locking mechanism for this purpose would not be acceptable, for this would require a key or other means to unlock the mechanism. This mechanism would unduly complicate the toy and also make it more difficult to play with.
The need exists, therefore, for a non-positive locking means that would be effective under those circumstances when the toy is subject to theft, but which, when the toy is in the possession of its rightful owner, could then be withdrawn and discarded, so that the player is then free to lift the roofs and remove the miniature puppies at will. These temporary locking means must also take into account the nature of the packaging for the toy.
It is now common practice to package toy vehicles in open front cartons so that a prospective customer does not have to rely on a photograph or drawing of the toy on a closed box, but is able to see for himself the vehicle being offered for sale even though it is in a protective carton.
In order to prevent the toy vehicle from falling out of the open front of the carton when the carton is handled or shipped, or from being easily withdrawn through this opening, it is known to provide an open front carton arrangement in which the wheels of the vehicle are so trapped as to resist removal of the vehicle from the carton. One such security arrangement is shown in the Keats et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,353.
But though an open front carton of the security type is suitable for a toy pickup truck as above described and makes it difficult for one to remove the vehicle from the carton despite its open front, this carton does not preclude raising the hinged roof of a dog house to remove the miniature puppy therefrom.